Antigone is telling Creon that rather than listen to his man made laws that she would rather follow the higher authority of the God’s. This strong willed nature is what ends up leading to Antigone being sentenced to death. When Antigone chooses to hang herself rather than allow Creon to kill her, she further demonstrates her strong willed nature. Antigone’s unnecessary death clearly shows that she is a tragic character. Creon’s tragic flaw is that he is to prideful.
Antigone's downfall is the result of her own doing. She refuses to listen to Creon because she is Polynesis' brother and wants him to be buried and suffers the consequences of disobeying the king. Antigone's death is not deserved for the crime she did. Creon sentenced her to death because he was threatened for his thrown. The readers are saddened because Antigone should not have died and she should be the queen of the kingdom instead of Creon.
Through multiple problems of which Creon has no control, one feels sympathy and fear for him. Creon rules Thebes as a strong king who lays down the law and sticks to it. Creon sends out a harsh, but unbiased edict. He declares that Eteocles’s body will be honored with a burial, but Polynices will be left to rot. Creon prevents the people in Thebes to bury Polynices by saying that anyone who tries to bury him will be sentenced to death.
His fickle favor toward his servants, and not to mention his family, proves his inconsistency and instability. Although appointed by the gods, his reign has exposed the abused and misused privilege of representing the gods in his earthly position. King Creon’s irrational edict stated that any man who dares to bury Polyneices would suffer death by stoning. Is it a mere human’s prerogative to determine another man’s eternal fate? Because Antigone had nothing left to live for, while knowing the sentence of stoning, Antigone defied King Creon’s edict in order to fulfill her duty.
Ultimately, her main argument is that “It is the dead, / Not the living, who make the longest demands: / We die forever….” (2.58-60). Antigone relies solely on her beliefs in the divine law and that in the end, when she dies, the gods will be more important than the city in which she lived. Never did she doubt the god’s ways even though it went against civil law and the approval of her sister. In regards to Creon’s ruling on the death of her brother she states, “Which of us can say what the gods hold wicked?” (2.116). Her preference for divine law is shown here as well because she’s implying that Creon has no authority to judge what the gods will end up judging.
However, Creon makes all of his decisions on his own and in pursuit of his professional goal of strengthening his power. The decisions that he makes are bad ones that hurt his people, as well as his own reputation and family. Creon says, “Who is the man here, she or I, if this crime goes unpunished?”(2.82) This quote is an example of how stubborn a king with that much pride can act towards his own family. Therefore, Antigone had every right to disobey the king and follow the divine
He does not listen to Teiresias’ warning. Teiresias tells Creon to make right of his abuse of power by granting proper burial rights and freeing Antigone from her impending death. Teiresias warns Creon that his corruption, stubbornness, and disregard for citizen’s rights is an abuse of his power. Because Teiresias is always right, Creon eventually decides to listen to him. This conflict proves the quote true because Creon disrespects the gods because of his new power.
She will be the man here” (519). This quote explains Kreon’s irritation on Antigone. The very moment Antigone buries her be loving brother’s body Kreon wants to take action with killing her because she disobeyed his law also Antigone’s sister, Ismene, because Kreon believes she was part of it too. Kreon believes if he does not kill Antigone he will no longer be one of the best rulers that people will look up too. This quote is important because it explains how Kreon begins to commit hubris.
As Antigone fights against the authority to bury polynecies she comes into conflict with her uncle, Creon. Creon decides that she is to be punished even though she is family. He also gives her a chance to say that it wasn’t her, but she takes pride in the honor of her brother, and pride in the struggle that she went through to stay faithful to her family. This leads to conflict between her and Creon which diminishes their relationship “I intend to give my brother burial. I’ll be glad to die in the attempt,-- if it’s a crime, then it’s a crime that God commands.” This is stated by Antigone and it is showing that she would give her life to stay loyal to her family and to give her unburied brother the proper
Antigone explains that the new ruler, Creon, has given a proper burial to Eteocleos; however, Polyneices will not receive a proper burial because he was a traitor. Creon decrees that anyone who buries or mourns Polyneices will be punished to death by public stoning. Antigone ignores Ismene's warning, giving Polyneices a proper burial by sprinkling dust over his body and performing ritual rites. A guard sees that someone has buried Polyneices body and reports the news to Creon. An enraged Creon threatens the guard's life if the culprit is not found and orders that Polyneices body to be dug up.